Editor,
The Shillong Times published a news item (September 9, 2017) on the functioning of NEIGRIHMS and also subsequent rejoinders (September 12, 2017 & September 14, 2017) from the authorities representing the Medical Institute. These reports and rejoinders came to my attention only recently as I was away and without access to your paper. Hence this delayed response to a very critical concern highlighted by your esteemed newspaper. NEIGRIHMS was established with the hope of providing top-notch health care services to people in this hinterland. However its functioning has left much to be desired. A casual probe through the internet reveals a number of deficiencies and anomalies that plague this premier institute. I agree that some of these can be attributed to the nascent state of the institute. But most of them can be ascribed to the quality of service culture that is being institutionalised at the centre.
Here is a personal anecdote to bring home the point.
During a recent emergency visit to the hospital (August 18, 2017) to seek medical assistance for what seemed like an ankle fracture, for my sister, I was asked by the Doctor to get an emergency X-ray administered. When I went to get the “Urgent” X-ray done, I was told,
after a waiting time of 40 mins that the machine needs to be cooled down for an hour as, after conducting 100 X-rays since morning, the machine had overheated. This “cooling period”, that coincidently dovetailed the lunch hours, was subsequently raised to 2
(hours) with over a 100 more patients still in the queue. When I questioned the justification for this action I was pertly asked to complain to the higher authorities if I so desired. As I needed an urgent x-ray administered, I had to rush to Woodland’s Hospital in the town to get it done. Should this be the quality of services and machines on offer at a premier medical centre like NEIGRIHMS? This regrettably is only a personal anecdote. A conversation with other patients who had come from far flung areas of the region revealed that the supporting staff especially at the registration counter, were also often rude and impolite.
It is unjust and immoral that a premier medical centre ,funded by the taxpayers and embodying the hopes and desires of a whole region, should offer such inferior services.
I am seriously considering seeking legal redress through a PIL in the High Court. I request members of the public to kindly express their experiences at the Institute without waiting for a journalist to write a report and perhaps later for be sued for that action.
Yours etc.
Rajesh Dev
University of Delhi,
Camp:Shillong
Horrible road to NEIGRIHMS (New Shillong)
Editor,
This road is 5.4 kms from Demseiniong junction and it runs 14 kms to join the National highway 44 at Diengpasoh which connects to Guwahati and Silchar. It also connects Shillong City to all the national institutes like Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Institute of Hotel Management (IHM),Institute of Fashion Technology (IFT), North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Homoepathy (NEIAH) etc and the long awaited Meghalaya Assembly building which, of course is yet to come up. From the look of the road it does not appear important enough from the State PWD’s and Govt’s perspective. NEIGRIHMS has become operational at Mawdiangdiang from 2006 and is now into its 11th year. At present there are approximately 1500 patients per day attending the hospital and 40% of them come from other neighboring States with the majority coming from Assam’s Barak Valley. I wonder what impression they have of this road and of our Government and particularly of the PWD.
Now for almost a year there is apparently some renovation/repair work going on but in a very shoddy, unorganized manner. I’m only talking about the stretch from Demseiniong to NEIGRIHMS/NEIAH the national Institutes of health and family welfare which many travel to. It has taken nearly one year to work on the 2 km stretch from Nongmynsong to Itshyrwat with no sign of completion at all because the road is totally destroyed by the activities of the contractor. They have left the finished part to the mercy of the summer rains and moved on. That means, the road will be repaired only after the whole stretch of the total length is completed. Have you heard any sensible person do that? In fact this road was repaired some years ago along with the road around Polo through Demseiniong, Pynthor and Golflink. The difference between the two roads is that the Polo road was repaired with Wet Mixed MacAdam (WMM) whereas the road to NEIGRIHMS was done only with Water Bound MacAadam. Stone aggregates used in WBM are larger in size compared to WMM. But in case of WMM, aggregates and binding materials are premixed in a batching plant or concrete mixing machine and then brought to site for overlaying and rolling. The main difference between the two in terms of quality control are (a) the process in the latter can be done only by a highly qualified contractor (b) it costs more, but lasts longer.
High quality smooth roads can be made with this process and can be completed at a faster pace. WBM is a process where materials are mixed on site and involves lesser expenditure but gives more scope for manipulation. They last only one summer. This is how the maximum number of roads in Shillong are constructed. The question is who decides which roads are to be done by which process and on what basis is the decision made? Thank God the summer season is nearly over otherwise we would need a boat to reach NEIGRIHMS or the so called New Shillong!
Here again, I saw the contractor who used to repair this road every summer end, equipped with only red soil and small boulders to fill the pot holes. Earlier he came with a jeep and a trailer, Now he uses a Maruti van which nearly reached its end life cycle carrying materials for the repair work! Where are the contractors who used to repair roads at night and during holidays too? The workers who repair this important road, start work at 10 am and stop at 5 pm just like babus working in Govt offices! People say that nowadays the contractors are graded and allotted works on the basis of their proximity with the ministers/high officials and not anymore on their capacity, efficiency or experience. The Department concerned has to prove them wrong. But are the engineers listening or have they reached a point of being deaf despite having ears and failing to see though they have eyes? Does our PWD have only mud and stones?
Fortunately we can still reach that part of Shillong via Umpling and Mawpat which have to handle heavy traffic. Hence the road condition in both places has also deteriorated. It leaves people with the choice of driving over smaller potholes or bigger ones. Will the PWD pull up its socks? Will the Chief Minister drive on this road at least once? The whole stretch of 6 kms from Demseiniong junction to NEIAH can be blacktopped with WMM in just a few weeks! I appeal to the concerned authority to please redeem your pride and not sink into the morass of corruption hook, line and sinker!
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request